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Giant Blaze Under Control at Warehouse in Houston

The inferno started just before 10 a.m. local time in the Spring Branch neighborhood. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
A warehouse fire burns Thursday in Houston.
A warehouse fire burns Thursday in Houston.KPRC-TV

A massive fire was under control Thursday afternoon after it caused the release of hazardous materials and fireballs to shoot into the Houston sky, officials said.

The four-alarm inferno at A-1 Custom Packaging and Filling started just before 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET) in the Spring Branch neighborhood. No injuries were reported at the warehouse, which was originally and incorrectly reported to be a gun warehouse.

Police said the blaze began as a house fire before spreading swiftly to the business park where the warehouse is located, which also includes a gun shop. The fire was declared under control and a shelter-in-place advisory was lifted by midafternoon.

Houston Senior Fire Capt. Ruy Lozano said the fire was solvent- and petroleum-based, but he said "it would be naive to assume that's all that's in there."

The packaging company manufactures products like powders, gels, liquids, poly foil and containers for use in shipping, but other nearby businesses are believed to handle materials like ammunition, chemicals and possibly pesticides.

A Harris County haz-mat team was called to the scene and a nearby elementary school and businesses were evacuated as thick, black plumes of smoke were captured by people on video.